Wheel polygonisation growth due to multiple wheelsets/track coupling vibration

Abstract

This present study investigates wheel polygonisation growth on China’s high-speed trains from the perspective of multiple wheelsets/track coupling vibration. Two theoretical models were established: a simplified linear model for polygonal wear trend analysis in the frequency domain, and a detailed nonlinear model for reproducing polygonisation in the time domain. The simulation results suggest that both the amplitude–frequency and phase-frequency characteristics play vital roles in the development of polygonal wear. The rail localised bending resonances between adjacent wheels are the main contributors to the high-order wheel polygonisation. The third and second order rail localised bending modes induce a high amplitude of wear fluctuation at 645 and 400 Hz, respectively, while leading to the phase difference between the wear response and original excitation being closest to 180° at 565 and 330 Hz. Accordingly, wheel polygonisation with frequencies of 572 and 342 Hz achieved the largest wear growth rate. Then, the rail localised bending vibration was captured on-site through a train passing test. And a long-term tracking test of high-speed train was utilised to validate the evolution process of the wheel polygonisation, it was determined that the simulated development of wheel polygonal wear and axlebox acceleration reached agreements with the measured results.